Propeller



e. CATANZANO.

PROPELLER.

APPLICATION man JUNE 26. :919.

LSEQQQS, Pate ted May 31, 192i.

r: WW #20 @wmw5mma I I PN e GEROLAMO CATANZANO, or soiv nnvinnn, MASSACHUSETTS.

Original application filed January 17,

T0 aZZ'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEROLAMO GATAN- ZANO, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Somerville, county of Middlesex, and Commonwealthof Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Propellers, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to propellers and aims to. provide'an improved construction having among-others the advantages hereinafter set forth and claimed. 7

- This application is, in part, a division of my. pplication Serial No. 271,684, filed January 17, 1919. I Y

' In thedrawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment. of my novel propeller, partly-in section; I Q v Fig.2, a partial edge view of the hub of the propeller with one of the propeller blades in position thereon;

, Fig; 3, a side elevation of one of the blades; V f

' Figl 4, a detail of the blade adjusting means; v b a Fig.1 5, a bottom view of a vessels hull equipped with a pluralityof'my novelprov pellers and Fig. 6', a section on the. line 66 of Fig. 3. Referring first to -Figs. '1, 2, -my novel propeller, as illustrated, comprises a relatively large and, for lightness, preferably holiowihub 1,'provided with a plurality of blades 2,"eachsuitably mounted upon or integralwitha-base 3'.

This type of propeller is particularly adapted forv installation on a hull in ad'- vance of the stern as suggested in my issued Patent No. 636,488, where propellers of the common type cannot be used, and. it possesses'all the advantages of the construction scribedw" I v In my patent abovenoted, the blades are flat. and substantially regular in outline. I have discovered' 'that a blade" fashioned approximately as shown in Figs. 2, 3, possesses very'superior' propellingpower when comshown in that patentbesides othersto be de- I v pared with a flat blade of substanti'ally the same areaas-shownin' mypatent referred-to. In propellers of the common screw type the blades are-relatively long, narrow-and Specification of Letters Patent.

PROPELLER.

twisted progressively toward the hub in order to obtain the continued'pushing. effect Patented May 3 1,191214; 1919, Serial No. 271,084. Dividedarid this application filed June 26, 1919. Serial No. 307,006. 1

of each blade is lost. .Itis generally :c'onsidi ered by those skilled in the'artjof designing and 1 constructing propellers, that, for the above reason, the conventional. propeller blade is only aboutthirty-five per cent. efficient.- 3 H This disadvantage isovercome almost entirelyr by the use of my novel propeller,

wherein owing-"- to their: relatively. I remote distance from the center of the hub or shaft, the number of blades may be many times multiplied and the effectivearea of each blade also relatively muchincreasedp I .The hub presents no appreciableffaceto create a drag, owing to the "novel manner of installing the propeller as-eX' 'lained i'n my earlier Patent No. g 1,317 ,861,

7 Now I have discovered that more poweris ated October 1 obtained from a propeller blade if' it is so fashioned that the segment of the following blade edge farthest from the center-line of the blade base, that is the widest' portionof the following face of the blade, nearer the V outer end or'tip of the-blade.-

Why this is so, applicant is unable-to state, unless it is because thejtip'end of the blade traveling through a greater circle'and consequent distance, than the inner end, pro duces a greater portion of power, and henc'e and edge outwardly and laterally gives additional' power. Consequently my "novel propeller blade is so proportioned and fashioned. I

Referring especially-to;Figs."2,f3, I provide the bladewith a forward or leading edge 4:, which is somewhat convex throughout and in which the sharpest segment of curve 5, and point of greatest distance from the center line is substantially at 'midlength thereof; f l

The opposite or following edge, somewhat less convex throughoutfon the contrarypre sents its sharpest segment of "curve- 6, and point most remote from the 'center line, nearer the tip of-the blade'; It'is's'o fashioned, also, that the point Y -i's'fi'arthenfroni .the extension of the following bla'de face I the base center 8 than any point on the opposite edge. This half of the blade is therefore slightly longer than the opposite half, but both halves are substantially equal in width at the base.

.The forward or thrust face 9 of the blade Fig. 2, is moreover, substantially strtight at its line of unction with the base andv substantially on the diametrical line, while the reverse or following face 10 is convex where it meets the base to give some additional strength. The bladeis obviously somewhat wider near its outer end than adjoining its base My propeller is so proportioned that the diameter of a circle touching the tips of the blades is the same as in the case of the common form of propeller for the same size boat. As ll prefer to construct my propeller five of the blades are usually in the water simultaneously, and they have substantially the same efiective area or working surface as the usual three blades of the common type of propeller for the same size boat.

Therefore each additionalblade over five, herein two, provides an extra working member, every inch of which is effective or propelling area, which'is not true of the pro peller in common use. Inasmuch as my novel blade is relatively short, it can also be made much thinner and lighter than usual." With the broad base, theblade may also be and is relatively broad at its base line, which aids in increasing the working area. I have discovered that a blade fashioned as shown herewith is much more powerful orhas more propelling force than a flat one such as shown in my Patent, lo. 636,488.

With the additional working surface, the relative cost per horse power is much reduced, probably as least twenty-five per cent.

My invention also contemplates the provision ofa universal propeller and a novel method of mounting the blades upon the hub, to wit, in such manner that they may be adjusted thereon for the purpose of pro viding either the usual forward or back pro pulsion of the vessel, and also the lateral movement of the vessel when desirable.

To that end I prefer to make the base, Fig. 2, elongated in outline, the narrow rear end 11 being pivoted, as by a bolt 12, to the edge of the hub, while the wider outer end is slotted at 13 to receive a pin 14 extended radially from a locking and adjusting ring 15. Additional posts 12 are provided for security to engage slots 12 in the base 3.

This ring is received by agroove 15 in thehub edge and the ring is locked in position by a locking screw 16 which engages extended lips 17 on the ends of the ring.

1 For adjusting the ring,-l have provided the following novel construction.

Referring to Fig. i, the hub shaft 18 adj acent the .hub wall 19 is milled out to receive the gear 20 on the short shaft 21, which also is partly countersunk in the shaft 18 for compactness of construction. A sleeve 22 is placed over the two shafts 18, 21, and this sleeve has bearing on the wall 23 of the propeller recess in the hull.

The shaft 21 carries the handle 24 or any convenient means for rotating the shaft and adjusting the blades, and of course may be locked by any suitable means, not shown.

The gear 20 meshes with a rack 25 on the ring actuating lever 26 pivoted at 27 to the hub wall 19, the upper or opposite end of the lever engaging a slot 28 in the ring 15.

It will be clear that by this means the ring 15. and the several blades may be adjusted at'will.

Normally the blades are positioned as shown in Fig. 2, full lines. In this position the propeller will impart forward or backward motion to the vessel according to the direction of rotation.

Now it is necessary when a large vessel is to dock, to have tugs on hand to turn the vessel and push her into her dock. She cannot safely undertake this with her own power.

By m adjustable or universal propeller it is possible for a ship to dock herself. This isdone by shifting the angle of the propeller blades to dotted line position Fig. 2 so that when revolved they will simply push the water sidewise, and thus cause the vessel to move slowly sidewise or laterally to the right :or left according to the direction of rotation of the propeller. I 3 Obviously with my improved propeller a vessel can approach her dockhead on, and then by the effect of lateral pressure of the blades on the water pushherself gently alongside the wharf with perfectsafety. It will be seen alsothat by providing one or more propellers fore and aft of the vessel as in Fig. .5, with suitable power mechanism not shown, she maybe readily moved sidewise, by simultaneous rotation of fore and aft propellers on the same side of the vessel, or by rotating the forward propellers in one direction and the stern propellers in the opposite direction, the vessel maybe turned around almost in her own length.

While I have herein shown one emb0di ment of my invention, obviously it' is not limited to the precise construction shown, and many modifications thereof may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

Claims r 1. A universal propeller comprising a hub with blades thereon adjustable inan are on the outer wall of the hub, a rotatable ring on the outside of the hub, a ring actuating member connected thereto and Without the adjusting arc of the blades, and means operable at a point in advance of the hub for adjusting the blades. i

2. A universal propeller comprising the hollow hub 1, blade bases 3 pivoted thereon for swinging adjustment, the bases having slots 12 to receive the posts 12 on the outer hub Wall, the blade adjusting ring 15 in the groove 15? on the hub, slots 13 in the blade bases and the pins 14 on the ring 15 extend ed through the slots, the ring actuator 26 pivoted to the hub and having the rack 25 thereon, a pinion 20 cooperating With the rack, and means for operating the pinion.

3. The combination with a hull, of a unibases pivoted thereon, blades on the bases, a

base adjusting ring on the hub connected With the blade bases, a ring {actuator on the hub, a pinion for operating the same and means for operating the pinion from Within the hull. v r

4-. The combination With a hull, of a universal propeller comprising av hub, blade bases pivoted thereon, blades on the bases, a base adjusting ring on the hub connected With th blade bases, a ring actuator on .the hub, a pinion for'operating the same, and a shaft for the pinion operable from Within V the hull.

In testimony WhereofI have signed my name to 'llhlS speclficatlon.

GERO-LAMO OATAN ZANO, 

